Back to the Grind

Well, I am back from my trip. I have actually been back since yesterday, but this is the first chance I have had to sit down and update my blog. The weekend was great, just what I needed. While I was away, my sister moved out. I learned a very valuable lesson, be here when things like that happen. I no longer have my table for my printer and the television for downstairs has walked away. I do not watch a lot of television, but I am in negotiations for the return of my printer table. My printer is feeling very lost sitting on the floor and it makes using the scanner built into it rather awkward.

On to the weekend. We thought about stopping in Halifax on the way to see the Tall Ships festival, basically a festival of old-fashioned sailing vessels, but the traffic would have been crazy and it would have made us rather late arriving at our destination. So, we just left. I could not find anyone to watch the cats for the weekend, and while I know they would have been fine for the time we were away, I did not like to leave them where they were not used to it, so we took them with us. They cried for a bit in the car, but they have visited their 'grandparents' (Tom's parents) before, so they adjusted. Lana was a much better car cat, she loved the car actually, we used to take her for drives with us. This is actually the first time we have taken the kittens anywhere in their carriers since Lana died, so one of the carriers was last used to take Lana to the vet. I think it made Tom a little sad, but at least we did not have to try and make Lana sink to the level of having to share a carrier with her 'little sister'. (Atra is too big of a cat to share). We had actually been talking about getting a third carrier for when this situation presented itself, but now we only have the two cats.

The best part of bringing the cats was that we like to stop halfway to give them some water and the halfway mark happens to have a second hand bookstore for me to browse. The owner remembers me from visit to visit, so he gave me discounts! I purchased the four books by George R.R. Martin and four books by R.A. Salvadore. I also got one of the few Pierre Berton books I did not have. Since the man is so awesome to with discounts, he also extended the same to Tom and sold him his beloved cards for a very discounted rate. The beloved cards are Magic: The Gathering. Four or five years ago I knew they existed but had never really paid any attention to them, now I have played a few times and know many interesting facts about them. Tom used to play but now he mostly buys them for the amazing artwork. I purchased some for him for his birthday, actually.

Most of the weekend consisted of hanging out with various people. It was interesting. When I first met Tom most of his friends were girlfriendless and still lived at home. Now, I actually have girls to hang out with and some of then have their own places. I have to say, I do not know what it is with Tom's friends and loud and obnoxious girlfriends, but there are several. Friday night was fun, but one of the girls really likes the sound of her own voice. She does not give you a chance to talk and will interrupt you at every oppurtunity. I think she is nice, means well, but she is the sort of person I need to get away from after a few hours. Saturday night, there was another girl that was very similar but she did not stay very long. The first one just likes to talk, the second one likes to talk and complain. It was an interesting evening. I did not read the whole weekend. Tom is addicted to his computer to such a degree that he spends whole days on there, and because he has a laptop, he brings his computer with him. So, the deal was he would leave his computer home if I did not read, so that is what happened. It was the first time in forever that Tom went a whole day without touching a computer. He also did not touch one all Friday night and Sunday morning. It was great, and very worth the cranky attitude I received when I asked demanded that he leave his laptop home.

I also went to a second hand store where his parents live and got a Sara Douglass book that is hard to get in Canada, so I was happy. I hope to read a bunch by her very soon. I also got a present while on the trip. Tom bought me the first four Jean Auel books (he knows my tastes well). These books actually used to be in my house, but I never read them. I think it is time to see what they were all about, so I am happy that Tom picked them up for me, as it was his birthday, not mine. Speaking of birthday, yesterday was Tom's birthday and he is now 25 years old! So, I will take this oppurtunity to say Happy Birthday to him! I think he had a good birthday, but you would have to ask him.

Some interesting things that happened since I got home. I came home to a painted dog. Yes, you read that right. My mother is painting the outside of the house and Sandy wanted to help. So, she has paint all through her fur. We also had an encounter with a bat, sadly not Batman, last night. I heard a weird noise upstairs where the door to the outside is, but I just thought it was moths banging against the screen door trying to get out. I pointed out that I thought the noise was strange to Tom and maybe he should close the other door, then I went to bed. Tom, being a guy, totally disregarded my suggestion until the cats started acting weird. He went up to investigate, and when he turned on the light he came face to face with a bat. (I must have heard it flapping its wings). I have had a bat encounter before, there was one in my mother's house when we first moved in, but Tom has not. He freaked, he had no idea how he was supposed to get the bat out of the house. I guess it got bored about the area around the door and started flying around the apartment with the cats calmly in tow. Tom managed to get it out somehow, but I slept through the whole thing! (Thankfully, bats are very common around here. I see them at night when I am driving all the time, but I do not like coming face to face with them.) (Picture at right is the door I am talking about.)

In other news, a friend of Tom's was swarmed and beat up last night when he was walking home from work. He lives in Halifax. I guess he is okay, and they caught what they think are the people that did it (he had to go look at a line up today), but it is still scary about hearing things like that. People said it was stupid for him to be walking alone at night, but some people cannot help it. He does not even work or live in a 'bad' part of town, so it was rather unusual to happen. I wish him a speedy recovery... both physical and (I would have to think) emotionally. Hopefully now that I am home I will get around to finishing some books!